The French priest Louis Moréri published 'Le Grand Dictionaire historique' in Lyon, France. This specialized alphabetical encyclopedia focused strictly on historical biography, geography, and genealogy, with a heavy emphasis on Catholic history and noble lineages. Moréri's decision to organize historical data alphabetically rather than topically revolutionized the reference market, proving that an alphabetical index was the most efficient way for readers to locate specific facts quickly.

Moréri's focus on historical biography provided French neoclassical playwrights and poets with a dense resource for historical dramas. The ease of looking up classical figures alphabetically accelerated the integration of precise historical settings into French verse tragedy.